Turpin Students Set Off a Ripple Effect with Gift to Local Foundation Honoring a Classmate’s Legacy
August 25, 2022 | Written by Lindsey Barta
Youth involved in the Philanthropy Club at Turpin High School are a dedicated crew - they meet before school, giving up precious sleep time to serve others with their time, talent, and treasure! This year, their dedication had a special payoff, when they were able to honor the legacy of a lost classmate through their gift and make a difference close to home. After visiting with three different nonprofits, the Philanthropy Club selected the Ben Kimble Foundation as the recipient of their Magnified Giving grant. Carter Flora, a Turpin student and member of the Philanthropy Club, explains the motivation behind their decision. “We chose the Ben Kimble Foundation because it’s super local,” he said. “It’s a nonprofit run by a Turpin family. Ben Kimble would be a senior this year, but unfortunately he took his own life a couple years ago. So the Ben Kimble Foundation is a nonprofit that works to de-stigmatize mental health.”
Students at Turpin smile after presenting their grant to the Ben Kimble Foundation from their classroom on a virtual Giving Ceremony hosted by Magnified Giving.
Tiffany Kimble, the mother of Ben Kimble and Co-President of the foundation, shares about the organization’s founding and mission, saying, “The Ben Kimble Foundation was formed in 2019 after the death by suicide of our youngest son, Ben, a freshman at Turpin High School. Every day, 1 in 5 people live with a mental health condition, and your generosity will help the Ben Kimble Foundation spread awareness that mental health conditions are not uncommon, that they are treatable, and that suicide is a preventable health problem.”
The outdoor space created through the Paving the Way for Possibilities Project at Turpin, funded in part by the Ben Kimble Foundation using the grant made to them by the Turpin Philanthropy Club.
After experiencing a terrible loss at their school, students at Turpin had the opportunity to make a gift in memory of their classmate. Like many young philanthropists, they were compelled to support an organization close to home, helping to make an impact right in their community and among their own peers. The Ben Kimble Foundation impacts youth in the Forest Hills School District in several ways, including an Impact Award to a graduating senior at both Turpin and Anderson High School, partnership in the Anderson Mental Health Collaborative, and contributions to the mental health fund resources in the Forest Hills School District.
At the Magnified Giving Award Ceremony where Turpin students presented their grant, they received special news of an additional impact that the Ben Kimble Foundation will be making, literally in their own backyard! Tiffany Kimble told students, “We are very excited to announce to the Philanthropy Club that our Magnified Giving grant award will be part of our major sponsor donation to the Paving the Way for Possibilities Project at Turpin High School. This project will create 3 spacious, landscaped outdoor environments to benefit not only the Turpin students during the day, but will also provide space for all of the visiting teams and groups who come to our campus to connect and enjoy.” Little did these students know that their gift would help create a special outdoor space to support mental wellness in their own school, for their own classmates! What a beautiful ripple effect of their grant-making and dedication!
A Turpin student zooms across the dodgeball court during the Turpin Philanthropy Club’s fundraiser for the Ben Kimble Foundation.
In addition to the $1,000 grant provided by Magnified Giving, the Turpin Philanthropy Club was able to fundraise additional money, bringing their total grant to the Ben Kimble Foundation to $1,817.50. Carter Flora explained how they made fundraising fun! He says, “For our fundraising, we do a dodgeball tournament with kids staying after school, and our final is held during a pep rally at school. We charge $5 per person, so we have fun while we raise money, it’s pretty cool. And then we also sell t-shirts at lunch - almost a hundred t-shirts for the Ben Kimble Foundation.” Congratulations to these awesome young philanthropists for these awesome fundraising efforts, and for the special impact their efforts made in their community! Special thanks to Mrs. Ashley Minnick, who facilitates the Philanthropy Club and Magnified Giving program at Turpin High School.